Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

"Why are some of them posed like that?" Jared asked.

"Like what? Where?" Oscar asked.

"At the 2nd floor in the glass panes. Look a bit over it and turn the Thermal IR in your binoculars." I said as I searched to a different place.

He aimed the scope and he immediately shook his head.

"There are people there tied like animals. How many are they?" Oscar said.

"Around 14, including the 4 people tied inside that office. That is what the Thermal Scope could pick up from this distance. There could be more hidden since this thing can't see through walls. However, looking at their hand position, only three of them has guns on their person. Wait, a few are coming from the other side of the road." I said as everyone looked at the entrance of the place.

"Kid. We definitely need to kill all of these guys." Oscar said.

"There's three more." I said to myself.

"Agree." Kaley said.

"Correct." Tatiana said.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Can we do it now?" Jared asked.

"Not yet." I replied as I continue on looking from this place.

Looking at the scope, several people are apparently tied and being dragged inside their place. You could hear faint screams and I surmised that all of their hostages were women. I'm not sure about their ages but something is definitely going on in that place. Add to that in how a few bodies are tied in the main office.

"Kid. Remind me, what does the place they are in look like?" Oscar asked.

"It's a big place. A bit bigger from where we are but Arca Yard is just a small section of the place they're in. It's 2nd floor is open and there is a small gate you could slide where they could block other people from coming in from the 1st floor. Inside the place are several tables and chairs since it's a place where people would spend Friday nights at. There are two floors all in all and everything that's inside are just food stores but at the end is a small office where the owner of the place resides in. It's just covered by glass and has two entrances inside the office. Oh, at the 1st floor is also a small stage where a band could perform." I said.

"How about the other stuff outside?" he followed up.

"Last thing I remember is a dermatologist clinic, a bank, a salon and several restaurants. There are two entrances where you could drive inside but it's actually just a single entrance since a small landscape just bisects it. At the back part is a small parking area like what we have here and there's a guard's quarters next to it." I said.

"How about the way there?" Tatiana asked.

"The straight path is to walk from this place towards it. We'll have to cross the entrance of that expressway from the left or we could drive around the backroads once more to come from the other side of the road." I said.

"Can't we just snipe them from this distance? I could see a few of them from this side." Jared said.

"That's a good idea but we won't be able to kill all of them that way. A few would immediately leave that place." I said.

"What do we do?" Kaley asked.

"Grab a few food items here, liquor and cigarettes first. I'll use this now. Let's prepare first." I said as I took a bottle from my pack earlier.

"What's that?" Jared asked.

"Cyanide. I'll lace a few of them." I said.

"Poison? What's make you sure they'll take it?" Kaley asked.

"Considering what they're doing there, I think I know how their business works." I said.

"Wait... oh..." she trailed.

I made a glance to Tatiana but she's just giving an expression on nonchalance.

We started on going through the aisles and collected a few boxes. I started on opening a few packs and lacing them discreetly.

"Why cigarettes though?" Oscar asked.

"What's the problem?" I asked.

"Cigars would be much better." he said.

"Those are too expensive old man. Besides, most people here are used to those small ones. That's why it has a suffix like that on the end yeah?" I said.

"Suffix? Oh! That's why." he made a simple revelation and chuckled.

"How about the cans of beer?" Jared asked.

"Heh. Just watch." I said while I stuck a small pin in the opening of the can. I let all the beer out when it started to spray since I shook it after doing so.

"Damn. It just removes all the stuff inside?" Oscar asked.

"Yeah." I replied as I empty all of the contents on a pot.

"Wait. How do you get them back after putting the stuff?" he asked.

I never answered but I started on emptying the other cans. They started on helping me, curious on what I would do next. I then grabbed the pot I placed them all in and went to a stove to heat them up.

"Kid?" Oscar grew more confused.

"Just watch old man." I replied as I neatly placed the two dozen cans next to a table. After that, when the beer is warm, I placed the cyanide in to mix it together.

"Hee~ Hee~ Hee~" I said with a creepy voice.

"The fuck is that now?!" he exclaimed.

"It's the incantation to make it work old man." I replied laughing.

I then grabbed a can in each hand and placed them upside down in the warm beer. They tried to help but I waved them off.

"Just let me do this part so I'll be the only one to clean myself after. This stuff is dangerous so it needs to be properly handled." I said as the cans slowly get heavy.

"It's full?" Oscar asked.

"Yeah. Looks unopened, right?" I said.

I grabbed a cooler and filled it with ice and then I then mixed them along with the other food items I brought and the other cigarettes I laced with cyanide. It looks the same as everything else now and you can only tell the difference when you touch them since it's still warm though it will be undiscernible later.

I cleaned my hands thoroughly and I joined them at the rooftop.

"Ready old man?" I asked.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Okay, here's what we do. Kaley and Jared, I'd like the two of you to stay here. Snipe a few when you hear me signal. You could shoot through the people on the 2nd floor and on the small gaps of the windows on the 1st floor though it may need more skill. The three of us will go there inside first. I'll be leaving my radio open so you two could listen in." I explained.

"Wait, I thought we five will be going in?" Kaley asked.

"They just got more people and the two of you I will trust on to take care of a few on the 2nd floor. You guys have higher ground here and could definitely take a few of them down from this distance. Besides, Jared only has his M70 and can't shoot continuously with it when the shit hits the fan." I said.

"I have the AR though." she replied.

"Yeah, but we don't leave Jared alone here. We three could handle it though. I just don't want people aiming their guns at me overhead so I'll rely on you two for that yeah?" I explained.

She was silent but she nodded pensively after although reluctantly.

"What's the alibi kid?" Oscar asked.

"Hmm?" Tatiana was confused.

"This here." I said as I gave him an ID picture.

"Oh~ That's why you were so confident. Heh." Oscar said.

"Who is it?" Tatiana asked.

"It's Renz Santos." I replied.

"Who?" she asked again.

"It's the kid that they've killed. He was a trainee at the police academy and that's why he knows that there are guns over there. When we grabbed all their paperwork, I remember his file there and it matches that ID picture we found on that kid's body." I said.

They were all just staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Bro, can you let me check your neck?" he said.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"I'll check if there's a seam underneath. You might be a robot or something like an alien is living inside you." he said with a straight face.

*thud*

I kicked his shin lightly as he grimaced.

"I'm joking... I'm joking... That hurts, shit..." he trailed while rubbing it.

"Anyway, try to remember a bit about his information. He came from Karuhatan, birthday is July 12, 2002 and a few more relevant information. We'll head there feigning to look for a person as Plan A and if it goes sour, let's smoothly transition to Plan B. C or D." I said.

"What's Plan B?" Tatiana asked.

"The president told you to do what I asked yeah?" I tried to confirm again.

"Yeah, anything." she replied.

"Have you watched Bare Weapon?" I asked.

"Oh boy." Oscar muttered.